Mobile



April 9, 1968 A. SAUER 3,376,664

MOBILE Filed Oct. 25, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. W M 2 BY F'.. J5 m 3? ATTORNEY.

April 9, 1968 A. SA UER, 3,3 76,664

MOBILE Filed Oct. 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m .ll

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,376,664 Patented Apr. 9, 1968 3,376,664 MOBILE Alfred Sauer, Box 10, Litchfield, Ohio 44253 Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,031 8 Claims. (Cl. 46-53) This invention relates to a mobile and particularly to a mobile so arranged as to assure movement by extremely slight air currents and which may be adjusted readily for changing its reactions to air currents.

The present mobile is one which is arranged to assure both rotation of the mobile about a vertical axis through its supporting point and concurrently therewith rocking of the mobile about said point transversely of said axis.

A more specific object is to provide a mobile in which the various parts can readily be adjusted for obtaining diiferent reactions to any one or more air currents.

Various specific objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a mobile embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the mobile illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a right side elevation of the mobile illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of the mobile and is taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the mobile comprises a supporting member, indicated generally at 1 and a movable member 2 supported thereby. In the form illustrated, the supporting member comprises a horizontal base 3 which is adapted to rest upon a horizontal supporting surface and on which an upright pedestal 4 is mounted. As its upper end, the pedestal carries an upwardly extending pivot 5. The movable member 2 is provided with a downwardly open cavity which accommodates the pin 6 with the upper pointed end of the pin in engagement with the upper portion of the interior wall of the cavity. Ample radial clearance between the pin and cavity side wall is provided so that the member 2 is supported for substantially friction free rotation about the upright axis of the pin through the point of contact of the upper end of the pin with the cavity wall and also for rocking of the member 2 about the point of contact of the pin and cavity wall in a direction transversely of the upright axis.

Mounted on the movable member 2 are a plurality of arms 7 which extend outwardly therefrom and, as in the form illustrated, preferably curve downwardly below the point of contact of the pin and cavity wall. Light weight elements 8, such as spheres of set foamed plastic material, are mounted on the lower ends of the arms. A relatively thin air vane 9 is connected to the movable member 2.

In the form illustrated, the vane 9 is shown as a piece of relatively thin sheet metal which is sufiiciently rigid to support itself without distortion under the face of its own weight, but which is readily bendable by hand. The vane 9 is shown as generally planar, but it may have a number of areas or projections 9a spaced about its periphery and which, while forming a continuation of the main surface of the vane, are bent or curved either upwardly or downwardly or twisted relative to the general plane of the vane so as to provide different reactions of the mobile for any given air current.

The vane is connected to the movable member 6 by a suitable wire arm 10, and is arranged so that the major portion of the vane is in eccentric relation to the axis of the pin 5.

It is important for operation that the general plane of the vane is inclined, as shown, edgewise in a direction radially outwardly from the upright axis of the pin 5 and also in a direction circumferentially of the axis. These inclinations, together with the eccentric relation of the vane, assure movement with a minimum of air currents and cause both rotation and rocking movements concurrently.

The elements 3 are arranged so that the center of gravity of the group, including the movable member 2, is at one side of the upright axis under all normal conditions, and the vane 9 is disposed at the opposite side of the axis from such center of gravity. In the form illustrated wherein two such elements are used, a vertical plane through their centers of gravity are disposed at the opposite of the upright axis from the vane 9.

The wire arms 7 and 10 are sufliciently thin and flexible so they do not add appreciably to the weight of the mobile and so that they may be bent readily by hand or finger pressure. Thus, a large number of diflierent effects can be obtained merely by bending one or more of the arms 7 and 10, or by bending different portions of the vane 9 to different degrees of obliquity, or both.

With this combination of adjustments, an indefinite number of difierent reactions to any given intensity and direction of air current can be obtained.

In the form illustrated, elements 8 have been shown, as spherical, but they may be otherwise shaped and may be movably fastened on the wire arms 7, though a rigid fastening is preferred. The vane 9 shown is in the form of a star, but obviously may take some other form. The specific shapes for decorative appearance of the mobile are disclosed and claimed in my co-pending design application, Serial No. D81-729, filed Sept. 15, 1964, and entitled Mobile.

The base 3, as shown for purposes of illustration, is merely a flat block of material adapted to rest on a horizontal surface. Any other type of base may be employed for holding the pedestal generally upright. Instead of the base 3, for example, which is to rest upon a horizontal surface, the ordinary finger clamp customarily used for clamping bulbs and the like on Christmas trees may be employed for holding the pedestal on the tree. Again, the pedestal can be made hollow so as to receive the top terminal of the tree trunk for supporting the pedestal in upright position thereon. The specific type of base forms no part of the present invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A mobile comprising a supporting member,

a movable member,

one of said members having an open side socket,

a pin carried by the other member and having an end portion loosely accommodated in the socket and with its end bearing against the socket wall and supporting the movable member on the supporting member for rotation of the movable member about an upright axis through the point of contact of the pin end and cavity wall and for concurrent rocking movement transversely of said axis,

a plurality of arms on the movable member and extending outwardly therefrom,

light weight elements on the arms, respectively, in outwardly spaced relation to said supporting member,

a relatively thin air vane,

means connecting the vane fixedly to the movable memher in eccentric relation to said axis and so that the vane slopes edgewise both radially of said axis and circumferentially of said axis, and

the center of gravity of the combination of the movable member and all parts of the mobile carried thereby being below the level of said point of contact.

2. A mobile according to claim 1 wherein the elements are set plastic foamed material.

3. A mobile according to claim 1 wherein said vane is a thin sheet of metal sufficiently rigid to maintain its shape under its own weight.

4. A mobile according to claim 3 wherein substantial portions of the sheet are oblique relative to each other.

5. A mobile according to claim 3 wherein the sheet is readily bendable by hand.

6. A mobile according to claim 3 wherein the sheet is generally planar, but has circumferentially spaced portions with their faces forming continuations of, and disposed at different slight angles of obliquity to, the general plane of the sheet.

7. A mobile according to claim 1 wherein the arms are light weight material, the elements are set plastic foamed material, and said means comprise an arm of light weight material, the vane is light sheet of metal, and said arms and vane are readily bendable by hand.

8. A mobile according to claim 1 wherein said elements are only two in number and are positioned so that their centers of gravity lie in a vertical plane spaced outwardly .4 from said movable member at one side of said supporting member,

the vane is positioned at the opposite side of said supporting member from said plane and is in spaced relation to said point,

the elements are disposed below the level of said point and the vane is disposed above said level,

and said elements and vane counterbalance each other and normally maintain themselves in said positions at relatively opposite sides of said supporting member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,128,666 8/1938 Trexler 46-53 2/1960 Rossiter 40-128 X 

1. A MOBILE COMPRISING A SUPPORTING MEMBER, A MOVABLE MEMBER, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING AN OPEN SIDE SOCKET, A PIN CARRIED BY THE OTHER MEMBER AND HAVING AN END PORTION LOOSELY ACCOMMODATED IN THE SOCKET AND WITH ITS END BEARING AGAINST THE SOCKET WALL AND SUPPORTING THE MOVABLE MEMBER ON THE SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR ROTATION OF THE MOVABLE MEMBER ABOUT AN UPRIGHT AXIS THROUGH THE POINT OF CONTACT OF THE PIN END AND CAVITY WALL AND FOR CONCURRENT ROCKING MOVEMENT TRANSVERSELY OF SAID AXIS, A PLURALITY OF ARMS ON THE MOVABLE MEMBER AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, LIGHT WEIGHT ELEMENTS ON THE ARMS, RESPECTIVELY, IN OUTWARDLY SPACED RELATION TO SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, A RELATIVELY THIN AIR VANE, MEANS CONNECTING THE VANE FIXEDLY TO THE MOVABLE MEMBER IN ECCENTRIC RELATION TO SAID AXIS AND SO THAT THE VANE SLOPES EDGEWISE BOTH RADIALLY OF SAID AXIS AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF SAID AXIS, AND THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE COMBINATION OF THE MOVABLE MEMBER AND ALL PARTS OF THE MOBILE CARRIED THEREBY BEING BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID POINT OF CONTACT. 